Illinois town pushes residents to explore alternate electricity providers

Illinois residents have expressed a great deal of confusion about the standing of their power service as the state continues its policy of electricity deregulation. The Niles Patch reports that at least one town has a clear-cut message for its residents.

Niles, Illinois, a small town of 26,000 northwest of Chicago, has been considering the possibility of electricity aggregation, which would offer residents the option to accept an electricity rate negotiated by the town in the hopes of seeing lower electricity prices.

These systems are not always the best option for any given individual, which is why they almost always allow residents to opt out if they would like, but they also can take time to receive approval from the town and then negotiate with an electricity provider.

In the mean time, the Niles village board suggests that all its residents should strongly consider looking at alternate electricity suppliers before worrying about aggregation.

"Energy Choices has a guaranteed rate until 2013. They always beat ComEd's price," Rosemary Palicki, chair of the village Environmental Practices Committee, noted at a town meeting.

As of October, more than 178,000 Illinois residents had already chosen to switch electricity providers, according to Plug In Illinois.